Art and culture

Art and culture

Languedoc Roussillon enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year, this southernmost region of French Catalonia, nestled on the Spanish border, continues to delight and charm every visitor. ""La Côte Vermeille"" in the Languedoc-Roussillon region offers an excellent deal for discerning holidaymakers and/or property investors looking for a second or permanent home abroad.

With more than 500 religious, civil or military monuments, thousands of works of art, the Pyrénées-Orientales region is a land of discovery and a true open-air museum.

You will discover an incomparable variety of landscapes and many fascinating cities, mountains, plains, ancient cities and modern seaside resorts with a dry climate so characteristic of Mediterranean countries.

The coast is lined with long, wide, flat sandy beaches, where you can enjoy a range of water sports, play golf at St Cyprien and enjoy wonderful walks in the foothills of the Albères in the Pyrenees. Along the coast, in the old ports such as Collioure , Port Vendres and Banyuls, the coast becomes high and rocky as the Pyrenees reach the sea.

It is a land of many influences and a rich heritage, colonised by Phoenician maritime traders and then by the Romans who occupied Narbonne and Perpignan. The town has been well restored and is beautifully presented, offering an impressive picture of local history. Perpignan, 16 km away, is the second largest Catalan city after Barcelona. A lively and cosmopolitan city built on the banks of the Têt, the old town is home to the Palace of the Kings of Majorca.

The Pyrénées Orientales are often called ""Land of artists"". The stunning scenery and light has made the area a magnet for many of the world's most famous artists including Picasso, Monet, Manet, Matisse, Chagall, Dali, Miro, Maillol, Rennie Mackintosh to name a few! The area also boasts a wealth of excellent galleries and museums.

The Museum of Modern Art of Céret
The Dali Museum in Figeres
The Hyacinthe Rigaud Museum in Perpignan
Visit Dali's house just across the border near Cadaqués
The Picasso Museum in Barcelona…

For up-to-date information regarding exhibitions, sites, monuments and museums we invite you to visit the Pyrenees Orientales Tourism website

For music lovers, the region offers a wide range of concerts and music festivals throughout the year, from the internationally renowned Les Déferlants Festival, held every summer in Barcarés and attracting big names such as Sting, Elton John, Iggy Pop... to classic festivals such as the Pablo Cassals festival held every year in Prades. Indeed, Villelongue del Monts also organizes its own music festival every year: Musiques Dels Monts